


Where Bloodlust and Pride Meet Part 2: Beyond Death's Door

by Spunky0ne



Series: Where Bloodlust and Pride Meet [2]
Category: Bleach
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-19
Updated: 2015-09-09
Packaged: 2018-01-20 00:32:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1490113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spunky0ne/pseuds/Spunky0ne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Amidst the signs of oncoming war, Byakuya and Kenpachi welcome their new children, only to find their lives threatened as the Vandenreich attacks Seireitei.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Multiples

_(You asked for it, you got it...Byakuya having more babies, yup, that's a plural there! Lots of lovely banters and outbreaks of yaoi warrior love. This is one sequel that will nip eagerly at the heels of its predecessor. Read...enjoy and let me know what you think! Love to you, Spunky)_

XXXXXXXXXX

Chapter 1: Multiples

Torio Kuchiki came out of sleep suddenly as a rising swell of powerful reiatsu rumbled through Kuchiki Manor, making the building shake forcefully and knocking over the decorative items that lined the shelves in his room. He didn't spend any time wondering what had caused the disturbance, but was on his feet instantly and flash stepping to the Kuchiki Clan leader's bedroom. He sensed that Byakuya was alone in the room and entered, smiling despite the rise of another throb of errant reiatsu that shook the building a second time and knocked over what hadn't been upset before.

"Lord Byakuya," he said in greeting, "Are you all right, sir?"

Byakuya sat up in bed, holding a hand to his enlarged abdomen and looking much paler than usual. He started to speak, but then paused and groaned uncomfortably, going a shade paler, then bursting out of bed and heading for the bathroom. Torio sighed sympathetically at the sounds of discomfort that followed and the heavy shake of a third reiatsu flare, then started towards the bathroom, whispering to a hell butterfly to summon the clan healer. He stopped in his tracks a moment later and looked back over his shoulder as a small, pink-haired girl appeared between the open garden doors.

"Ah, Yachiru!" he said, looking relieved, "So...Master Zaraki has returned?"

"Yup!" Yachiru confirmed happily, "We just got back. Would've been here sooner, but we got lost trying to find the crossover point and then Kenny started having fun fighting and forgot about getting back quickly to make his report. Old Man Gramps was sure angry! He roared loud enough to hear all the way to the eleventh barracks and said Kenny had to make his report in person. But he sent me to tell Byakushi he is on his way."

"Hmmm," Torio chuckled, good naturedly, his lively green eyes sparkling, "If he doesn't get lost on the way, ne?"

Yachiru giggled and eagerly accepted an offering of several candies from the Kuchiki attendant.

"Is he in there again?" she asked, as the sound of retching floated out from the bathroom, "Sounds like he's really sick. But it's just the babies, right?"

"Oh yes, you needn't worry. Lord Byakuya will be fine. I think we can go in now. It's gotten quiet. Come."

Yachiru bounded ahead of him, into the bathroom and skidded to a stop as she spotted Byakuya, sitting on the floor, near the toilet, his eyes closed and one slender hand rubbing his large, round belly. He paused as she reached him, managing a look of greeting that fell well short of an actual smile, but making no argument as she took over rubbing his discomfited abdomen.

"Ah, good morning, Vice Captain," he said softly, "Do I take your presence to mean that my husband has returned?"

"Uh-huh!" Yachiru confirmed, slipping a piece of candy into her mouth, then holding out a hand.

Byakuya started to refuse, then spotted the teasing grin on her face and the sprig of fresh peppermint that laid in the palm of her hand.

"No candy for you!" the pink-haired girl announced, "Just some peppermint leaves."

"Yes," he agreed, slipping one into his mouth and savoring it slowly, "That is much better. Thank you, child."

He rested for a moment longer, then accepted Torio's hand and rose unsteadily, sighing as he couldn't help but notice how odd he looked.

_I'm significantly bigger than I was with Kaminari. I've barely been able to go outside. I can't be seen like this. I'll be a laughingstock._

"Did Kenpachi say when he would be coming home?" Byakuya asked, frowning as a sharp twinge passed through his belly.

"He said to stop your nagging and he'll get here after the old man finishes handing him his ass and he can't help it if you're unbalanced. He rubbed your tummy all night before he left and he thinks he hasn't stopped trying to balance you since Captain Unohana said you were knocked up, and good this time!"

"That's sounds like something he'd say," the noble said, an edge of rising anger in his voice.

A soft rumble passed through the manor, prompting Torio to excuse himself quickly to make tea.

Yachiru grabbed Byakuya's hand and led him out into his room, then through the open doors, into the gardens. But as soon as his footsteps sounded on the walkway, a sharp wail pierced the air and Byakuya grabbed his aching belly and cringed. He started towards Kaminari's room, but stopped and stared as Yachiru dashed away, then returned a moment later with the tot pressed to her shoulder, and no longer crying, but cooing softly.

"Oh, arigato, Vice Captain," the noble said, regaining some of his poise as Yachiru rejoined him, and they started slowly across the lawn. A moment later, a young, blue-eyed cousin joined them.

"Lord Byakuya!" he said, flash stepping to the clan leader's side, "Torio said that you were feeling poorly. Is there something I can do?"

"I am fine, thank you, Tetsuya," Byakuya said, forcing himself to straighten, despite the discomfort it caused, "Yachiru was kind enough to bring some fresh peppermint from the gardens and Torio is making a pot of ginger tea."

"Well, at least allow me to join you on a walk around the gardens," his cousin insisted.

"Very well," Byakuya sighed, hating the feeling of being watched over like a child.

Tetsuya noted the look on the clan leader's handsome face and smiled at him.

"Not to worry. It won't be much longer. And then, you will look and feel more like yourself again."

"At very least, I'll be able to be seen in public," the Kuchiki heir said in a piqued tone, "I can barely step outside my door and haven't dared attend a council meeting. What they would think..."

"Lord Byakuya," Tetsuya chided his cousin, "Everyone knows that you are with child, and they certainly don't hold it against you. You needn't be so self-conscious."

"Says the man who wasn't impregnated with a litter of babies by that beastly barbarian!" Byakuya huffed, "I know that the head captain didn't order him to take that last mission. He just got tired of looking at me and not being able to..."

He paused, looking at Yachiru for a moment and reconsidering his words.

"Not be able to think of a proper use for me," he finished, meeting Tetsuya's eyes meaningfully, "He was happy enough to make the little demons, but he isn't the kind to hang around and actually deal with the result of his actions. Let us just be honest. He finds me boring this way. He has taken repeated missions because I cannot keep his interest while..."

Tetsuya saw the hint of tears and acted quickly.

"Don't talk like that," he said, shaking his head reprovingly, "You know that isn't true. Kenpachi Zaraki is very much in love with you. But he is a captain, just as you are, and while you are on leave, he is only taking on more because things have been busy."

Byakuya felt a soft quiver inside as he considered the recent increase in odd sightings.

"You are probably right," he said, frowning, "A lot has been going on. The strange appearances, but lack of reiatsu traces to identify the intruders...the testing of our defenses by unseen perpetrators. I should be more involved in the investigation, not lying about, eating too much, getting sick all of the time and just growing as big as a house."

His eye caught his reflection in a koi pond as they passed, and he turned his head away quickly.

"I can't even look at myself anymore. Why would he want to look at me," Byakuya said in a softer, hurt tone.

"What the hell is that bullshit you're spouting?" said a rough, gravelly voice behind them, "Are those little bastards I put in you cutting off the flow of blood to your brain and you can't think straight?"

Byakuya's lips tightened and he turned his head away, scowling. Tetsuya and Yachiru exchanged knowing glances.

"Please excuse us," Tetsuya said, bowing briefly, "We will rejoin you after your walk, for tea."

"Yeah," said Kenpachi, grinning as he studied Byakuya's stiffened pose and furious expression, "I've got this."

Byakuya started to walk away, but inhaled in surprise as he was taken off his feet and carried off, down the forest trail.

"Put me down, you ridiculous baboon!" he complained angrily, "You don't have to carry me!"

"Aww, I've carried things a lot heavier than you," Kenpachi said, smirking at him, "Big hollows, living world cars. Once I carried a...Oof!"

He nearly dropped the noble as Byakuya elbowed him sharply and struggled to free himself.

"Hey, you wanna not do that?" the bigger man complained, "It's not nice to tease me like that when I can't hit you back, you know."

"F-fuck you!" Byakuya seethed, his reiatsu flaring around them, "Put me down, you overgrown monkey! I've no need to be carried around by you and listen to your horrid insults!"

"Aww, I wasn't insulting you," Kenpachi said, still smirking, "I was pointing out that there are still lots of things bigger than you."

"Ugh!" Byakuya groaned, ceasing his struggles as a painful tremor passed through his abdomen, "You're awful! But fine. Just do whatever you want, then. I don't care."

Kenpachi came to a stop next to Byakuya's favorite waterfall and set the noble back on his feet beneath a small, lovely sakura tree on a cliff that overlooked a pretty blue lake and deep green meadow.

"Relax, will you?" the bigger man said, pulling him down and sliding in behind him.

Byakuya bristled and gave a scathing reply, but quickly fell quiet again as his husband's hands slid down beneath his yukata and caressed his swollen belly slowly. Soft, white light flared gently around Kenpachi's rough hands as he infused his uncomfortable mate's body with stabilizing reiatsu.

"You see," Kenpachi said in that softer, rumbling voice that entered into the Kuchiki heir's ear and moved straight down to his long neglected loins, "You're okay. You just got a little unbalanced while I was gone. This is all you need. Just shut up now and let me make you feel better, okay?"

"Oh, if only that meant what..."

He stopped himself, blushing brightly at having let the words escape him. Kenpachi's deep, rumbling laugh warmed his back and sent another jolt of longing through him.

"Don't worry. We'll get to that too."

"What are you talking about?" Byakuya sighed, closing his eyes and resting the back of his head on Kenpachi's muscular shoulder, "I doubt you could find the way in, let alone enter it, the way I am now. No wonder you don't want to be here. I know there are much more interesting things out there."

"Stop talking nonsense," Kenpachi said, stealing a kiss, then cursing as he pulled away, nursing a bitten lip, "You're just feeling sorry for yourself. You shouldn't look at things that way."

"What way am I supposed to look at things?" Byakuya said sourly, "I am not a brood mare, Kenpachi. I am a captain and a clan leader. I wasn't meant to be powerless, barefoot and carrying kami knows how many babies! I'm a disgrace."

Kenpachi grabbed his face and glared into his eyes meaningfully.

"I'm gonna tell you one more time to cut the bullshit," he said warningly, "And you'd better listen to me. You're no disgrace. You're fucking beautiful barefoot, pregnant and carrying a load of our babies. And you'll be beautiful once you dump them out and you're back out on the battlefield, bloody, spitting petal blades and tearing hollows to shreds. I don't care which one you are at the moment, and you shouldn't either. Quit your pissing and moaning and stop feeling sorry for yourself. I'm home now. I'm on leave until the babies are born, so shut it! You need stabilizing, I've got it covered. You want ginger tea and peppermint leaves, Torio can handle it. And if you're so hot to get fucked, I'm sure we can find a way to do that too. In fact, I'm kinda horny from the balancing right now. What say we give it a go?"

"You're repulsive! Get away from me!" Byakuya hissed, breaking free of him and starting to stand.

"Oh, you wanna play hard to get, huh?" Kenpachi laughed, yanking him down again and observing his partially revealed genitals, "Well, I wouldn't do too much of that with your own dick being so swollen like that. It might explode."

"Shut up!" the noble fumed as Kenpachi's hands captured him again and stripped his nightclothes away, "Let go of me!"

He grabbed Byakuya's wrists and forced his arms down, kneeling and embracing him tightly from behind.

"You're not going anywhere, princess," the bigger man breathed hotly in the angry noble's flushed ear, "Even if not for the fact I know you want it, you got me horny. And you don't do that, then refuse to take care of it for me. You're a noble. You should know that's not good manners."

"And what would a primitive caveman like yourself know about m-manners!" Byakuya managed as Kenpachi's hand pressed against his back, bringing him down onto his hands and knees and pushing his head and shoulders down low, "You've not even learned to...ah...w-walk upright!"

He groaned as wetted fingers invaded his raised bottom, stopping his words and making him pant harshly and rest his burning cheek on the cool grass. He went quiet as Kenpachi's large, dampened fingers penetrated his vulnerable bottom, pushing in deeply, thrusting and stretching and making him moan scandalously.

"Aw, that's better now, isn't it, Princess?" Kenpachi purred in his ear.

Anger seethed in Byakuya's proud chest, but under the power of the other man's deft fingers, he simply groaned and ground into the fingers that penetrated him. He clenched at the slender blades of grass, digging into the rich, black soil as his husbands fingertips stroked his sensitive prostate, making his hungry cock swell even more painfully and excited a piqued snarl from deep I his throat.

"It's good, huh?" Kenpachi chuckled, pressing against his back and rubbing his hot, leaking erection against the noble's bottom as he continued the careful preparation, "I'm being careful. My cock's pretty swollen from excitement cause it's been so long since it's gotten to be inside you."

"J-just get on with it, you fool!" Byakuya snapped, raising his bottom higher and pushing back into the other man's thrusting fingers.

"All right, all right," Kenpachi laughed, making Byakuya moan and his hungry member dribble pale fluid as his husband's fingers slid out of him.

Kenpachi shifted and brought the wet head of his enlarged cock to the noble's entrance, rotating his lips and making Byakuya swear at the slowness of his entry.

"Heh, don't let your elders hear that," Kenpachi warned him, smirking, "I don't think it's proper to swear like that. Course it's not exactly proper being a pretty, well-raised noble and being fucked by a monster like me, ne?"

"Shut up!"

"I love you too, Princess," Kenpachi sighed, closing his eyes in bliss as his hot, flushed penis slid into Byakuya's offered bottom.

Their bodies suddenly joined, and his husband's strong, impatient thrusts relayed to Byakuya that he wasn't the only one who had felt neglected.

"I don't have to be able to walk upright to do this to you, Princess."

"Stop calling me that!" Byakuya panted, closing his eyes against the swell of heavy sensation and gripping emotion that went with it.

Their words disappeared into hungry gasps and ringing moans as their pleasure mounted and finally overtook them. Byakuya screamed heedlessly in release, almost losing awareness as they started to collapse together, and Kenpachi rolled them onto one side. They laid still together, their chests heaving and their breaths short and quick as they worked to recover themselves. And the mingled scents of sweet flowers, water, crushed grass blended with their more masculine aromas, leaving Byakuya nearly senseless with their beauty. He rested more calmly in his husband's strong arms, feeling his own strength seeping back into him and regaining more of his more regal bearing as Kenpachi's attentions stoked his failing pride.

_How is it that just this man's presence can bring me back to myself this way? It is beyond understanding...impossible...yet undeniable._

"I love you, Kuchiki."

Byakuya frowned.

"That is Byakuya Zaraki-Kuchiki," he corrected the other man stiffly.

"Whatever," the bigger man sighed, letting his hands wander over Byakuya's swollen belly and smiling, "You're fucking beautiful, filled up with our babies. I know you don't like it sometimes, because it makes you feel weak, but you don't know how good it feels to look at you...to put my hands on you and hold you like this."

"Then, why have you been away so much?" Byakuya aksed quietly.

"Oh that?" Kenpachi said, smirking, "Captain Unohana said that I had to go easier or I might send you into early labor before. You're far enough along now. We can have all of the fun we want. It'd be good to get your labor going now. Sooner the better, I think. we need to get you in fighting shape again."

Byakuya froze for a moment, ignoring the obvious attempt to rile him as he took in those last words.

_He's worried._

_I wonder what he found while he was out there that has him feeling that way._

_Aizen is under control, and although Ichigo Kurosaki is losing his powers, there haven't been any real threats to us._

_What is it then?_

_What do you see approaching us?_

"Is there going to be trouble?" he asked, keeping his voice calm.

"Yeah," Kenpachi answered, catching his eye, "I don't know what kind of trouble, but...yeah."

Byakuya looked down at his cumbersome belly and laced his fingers together with his husband's where they rested there.

"Not to worry. I will be finished with this and ready to fight soon."

"Good."

Kenpachi gave him a teasing smile.

"Cause you're kind of a bitch when you're moody. I want you back in order so we can spar physically and with our words."

"That's the best way," Byakuya agreed, "Then, I can give you the beating you truly deserve."

"Not if I beat you first, beautiful."

"Shut up, you're making me sick again."

"C'mere and kiss me some more. I missed you."

"You're delusional."

"And you're making me hard again."

"Hmmm, when do I not?"

"Good question, now shut up and kiss me!"

"I wouldn't kiss you if you were..."

His words ended suddenly as he was rolled onto his back and his mouth was invaded forcefully. They left off speaking then, embracing the cool of the morning, the freshness of the scene around them and the flooding warmth of their connection.

From a short distance away, in the shadows, a pair of dark, malevolent eyes watched them closely.


	2. Nudging Fate Forward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byakuya and Zaraki try a unique method to start Byakuya's labor.

"Gods, Kuchiki!" Kenpachi groaned, his eyes rolling back in complete bliss as the Kuchiki heir's sweaty, shaking body writhed atop the bigger man's with grace and balance that seemed to defy possibility, considering the very advanced stage of pregnancy he was enduring, "You trying to kill me, here? Cause I gotta tell you, if I've gotta die, I don't think I could come up with a better way. B-but, are you sure that healer wasn't just jacking you off, telling you this would speed things up? You've been riding me like a fucking demon since that cousin of yours left and I don't know about you, but I don't see anything coming out of you but a lot of our cum!"

"Sh-shut up!" Byakuya gasped, going still, clenching at Kenpachi's shoulders until the big man flinched and swore, then giving a hard shudder of completion, "I am done with looking like something that waddled in from the damned pasture!"

He made a sound of weariness, bordering on exhaustion and collapsed onto his husband's sweat-bathed chest, almost growling with impatience as his body calmed and rested.

"I want this to be over with."

"Aw," Kenpachi chuckled, grinning and brushing damp raven hairs away from the noble's glaring eyes, "But you look so pretty, all filled up with my juice and bent outta shape, looking like you'll kill the next person who looks at you the wrong way. I don't think you're gonna need any extra training after this. All someone'll have to do is say anything about having babies and you'll give'em one of those dagger-eyed stares of yours and kill'em right there."

"I don't think so," Byakuya said dryly, "I've used them on you to no end and you haven't died yet."

"Even though you've wished me that way, often enough, ne?"

"Don't say that," Byakuya said quietly.

"Why?" Kenpachi asked, his eyes looking into Byakuya's and his face becoming more serious, "Are you that afraid I'm gonna die? Even after everything that tried to kill me and didn't? Don't get too serious, Kuchiki. Too much of that'll get you killed."

"And does that frighten you?" Byakuya sighed, closing his eyes as Kenpachi's hand dropped down to rub his pregnant belly.

"Like nothing ever has," the bigger man said in a low voice, "Living down in the asshole of the Rukongai like I did made it hard for me to feel anything like human emotions. And no matter how many times I stare death in the face, myself, it can't give me the shivers down my spine that the thought of you dying does. That's why when this is over, I'm just gonna have to beat the ever loving hell outta you so that I know I'm the only thing left alive that can kill you. How's that?"

Byakuya stifled a helpless smile and buried his face beneath his husband's chin.

"You're getting soft," he warned Kenpachi, "Aren't you the one who told me that it wasn't a lack of skill that would cost me my life, but having too much heart?"

"I did say that, didn't I?" Kenpachi mused, sliding his hand down to caress his lover's soft, round bottom, "Fucking brilliant, don't you think?"

"Hmmm," Byakuya huffed softly, "But coming from you, anything that is understandable as human speech sounds profound..."

"Get over here and kiss me some more," Kenpachi growled, threading his fingers into Byakuya's tumbled hair and dragging him roughly into another meeting of their lips, "Gotta keep that nasty mouth of yours busy so you don't piss me off while I still can't kick your ass for it."

He growled again as Byakuya's teeth nipped sharply at his lips and the two fed hungrily on each others' mouths. Kenpachi's hands continued to squeeze the noble's bottom and his fingers explored the slick, thickened arousal and warm, soft testicles slowly. His eyes watched Byakuya closely as the noble's eyelids drooped and gradually closed. He rolled the noble onto his back and laid his hands on Byakuya's swollen abdomen again, infusing the area with warm, balancing reiatsu. A tapping sounded on the bedroom door and Kenpachi hastily pulled a blanket over them.

"Come in."

The door opened, admitting Byakuya's blue-eyed cousin and personal healer.

"Tetsuya," Kenpachi said sleepily, "How is he?"

The younger noble approached the bed and conducted a brief, but careful examination, blushing slightly, but saying nothing of the remaining flickers of errant reiatsu in the room, the shaken look of the items within it, and the lingering masculine scents of their repeated lovemaking. Kenpachi leaned forward, flustering the young healer even more as the blanket drifted downward, revealing the large expanses of rough, scarred flesh on his shoulders and torso.

"He is making progress," Tetsuya noted, continuing to let his hands run gently over Byakuya's white belly.

He looked up at Kenpachi, pausing for a moment, considering.

"I think it would be best to move him to the healing center for the actual delivery. Just as soon as he shows signs of beginning true labor."

"Huh? Is something wrong?" Kenpachi asked, frowning, "Was I too rough with him or something?"

"Erm...no, not at all," Tetsuya said quickly, "It is just a precaution. Neither Captain Unohana nor I have been able to sort out exactly how many babies are in the chamber. As I told you before, because they remain in reiatsu form and fill the space inside the chamber, it is difficult to separate one unique reaitsu from the other. We know there must be at least two or three, but the number could be more, which explains what I sensed just now."

"What's that? I thought you said nothing was wrong," Kenpachi said, his voice deepening into a growl.

"Well, there isn't anything wrong really, except that the increased number of babies this time requires him to eat more to sustain himself and the babies."

"He's been eating like a fucking monster," Kenpachi insisted, "You mean he needs to eat more than that?"

"The truth is that we seem to be approaching the point at which he simply cannot eat enough to keep up with the needs of the babies. If we confine him to the healing center now, we can leave him in a semiconscious state and supplement his body through an IV with fluids and nutrients."

"Oh, he's going to love that," Kenpachi huffed sarcastically, "Kuchiki hates the healing center."

"My thoughts exactly," Tetsuya sighed, "I know my cousin wants to remain here if possible, so we will tend him as best we can and see if we can't get his labor started soon. If you will excuse me, I need to go and instruct the staff on how to bind more nutrients to his food and boost the calorie content to compensate for his increased metabolism."

"You do that," Kenpachi chuckled, teasing Byakuya's privates under the blankets and earning a soft, angry groan, "I'll keep him busy here, although, I'm not sure if you know your shit, saying that all of this fucking is going to do anything."

"Perhaps we should get him up and try walking," Tetsuya suggested, "The change of positions might help."

"Oh, we've tried just about every position I think," the big man said appreciatively, Besides, I don't think, as hard as he's been going at it in here that he's gonna be able to walk for a while," Kenpachi said, smirking at the way the words made Tetsuya blush.

"W-well..." Tetsuya stammered, lost for words.

"Don't worry about it, kid. You just do your thing and I'll do him."

"Eh...right," Tetsuya managed, turning away.

"Hey, you mind having them bring Kaminari over?" the big man asked, yawning, "We haven't been out of here all day. Kuchiki's gonna be wanting to see her. And it'll keep him distracted while we give things a rest."

"Very well," Tetsuya said, bowing briefly and exiting the room.

He paused, just outside the door, biting at his lips and stifling a flustered laugh.

"That man is beastly!" he whispered, shaking his head, "But he is a good father. And he makes my cousin happy...reason enough to simply ignore his idiosyncrasies, I suppose."

Tetsuya hurried off, first to the kitchen to instruct the cook on the preparation adjustments for Byakuya's food, then to the nursery, where he was met with a demanding howl.

"Da-daddy Bya!" Kaminari shouted, stiffening and scowling as she realized her mistake, "Want Daddy Bya!"

"Hush now," Tetsuya scolded the girl gently, nodding to her attendant, then gathering the squirming toddler into his arms, "Daddy Bya is sleeping right now, but I will take you to him if you are very quiet."

Kaminari's large green eyes blinked and registered comprehension.

"Shh..." she hissed softly, putting a soft fingertip to Tetsuya's smiling lips, "You be quiet now."

"That's right," her blue-eyed cousin agreed in an affectionate tone, "We must be very quiet."

Kaminari clung tightly to Tetsuya's shoulder, her head turning this way and that as they moved back down the walkway to Byakuya and Kenpachi's bedroom.

"Ashie?" she queried, giggling as Tetsuya's tall stallion peeked out of the nearby bushes and nickered softly, "You be quiet!"

The stallion blew an indignant huff of air out of his nose and tossed his head in annoyance.

I'm not the one yelling at the top of my lungs for others to be quiet! Arashi's wispy voice whispered in Tetsuya's mind.

"He does have a point," Tetsuya whispered, "It's no good yelling at him to be quiet. I think it would be better for you to whisper.

"Okay. Shh, be quiet Ashie!" Kaminari hissed, "Shut yer yap!"

"Goodness," Tetsuya said under his breath, "You must have been listening to Daddy Kenpachi again."

Arashi snorted and disappeared into the bushes, peeking back over his shoulder to pretend to glare at her as he went.

"Daddy Kenny?" Kaminari shouted excitedly.

"Who's making all that goddamned noise?" Kenpachi growled from inside the room.

"Shh!" Kaminari snapped, putting a finger to her lips as she and Tetsuya entered the room, "Daddy Bya sleeping."

"I was sleeping," Byakuya yawned, sitting up and accepting the toddler into his arms, "But someone seems unable to speak quietly when others are trying to rest."

"He did!" squawked the girl, giggling as Kenpachi scowled at her and tousled her wild, black mane, "Daddy Kenny's noisy!"

"Eh?" Kenpachi muttered, scratching the back of his neck, "You were the one out there yelling."

"You snore like a bear!" the girl announced.

"Nice try, runt," Kenpachi chuckled, "But I wasn't sleeping. You've gotta be sleeping to snore."

"Oh damn!" Kaminari said, scowling.

"Kaminari," Byakuya said in a still gentle, but firm tone.

"Sorry, Daddy Bya!" the toddler said, snuggling under the noble's chin and hugging him tightly, "It popped out!"

"Looks like that's not the only thing popping out around here," Kenpachi laughed, rubbing Byakuya's swollen belly and earning a dark glare from his noble mate.

Kaminari giggled and patted Byakuya's belly gently.

"Must be a whole army of brats in there!" she announced, mimicking Kenpachi's voice, "Gotcha good that time!"

"That will be quite enough, young lady," Byakuya said, frowning, "Why don't we go for a walk in the gardens?"

"Feed the fishies?"

"Yes," Byakuya replied, nodding, "If you mind your manners, we will feed the koi."

"Maybe we should feed you first, sir," said Torio, entering the room, carrying a tray laden with food and followed by his younger brother, who carried a second tray.

An even younger sibling followed the two older youths, carrying a tray for Kaminari. They set the trays on the bed and Tetsuya stole Kaminari from Byakuya's arms and began to share the food on her tray, giving the clan leader time to sate his burgeoning hunger.

"He's not mindin' his manners!" Kaminari whispered to Tetsuya, who laughed softly.

"Well, carrying those babies inside him makes him very hungry," Tetsuya explained.

"He's hungry 'nuff to eat a horse!" Kaminari exclaimed.

"Oh, don't let Arashi hear you say that," Tetsuya chuckled, "He might hide in a waterform and we would never find him!"

"Hide 'n Seek?" the toddler chirped.

"After breakfast, kid," Kenpachi said gruffly, "We don't want Byakuya to be passing out on us. You're heavy enough to lug around. I'm not carryin' you both!"

"As if I would suffer the indignity," Byakuya managed around a large mouthful of rice.

"What was that?" Kenpachi growled playfully, "You weren't complaining too much when I carried yer lazy ass in from the gardens yesterday. Oh, wait...you couldn't, because you were out cold!"

"Daddy Bya was knocked up?" Kaminari exclaimed loudly, making the room go quiet as the others realized that Head Elder Nori had appeared in the garden doorway.

Byakuya let out a piqued breath, closing his eyes and shaking his head resignedly.

"Hey, you're supposed to be eating," Kenpachi said, nudging him, "And it's knocked out not up, kid. It's fine, okay? Eat."

"Ah, good morning, Nori," the clan leader managed, blushing and trying to use the blankets to hide how large his belly was.

"This is quite the spirited bunch," the old man commented, his aged eyes reflecting calm amusement, "But it is good to see you are well enough to eat more...eh...more, Lord Byakuya."

"Take's a ton of grub to fill him up!" announced Kaminari, pointing a spoonful of rice in Byakuya's direction, then squealing and laughing as Kenpachi leaned forward and nipped the bit of food away.

"HEY!"

"Kaminari, not so loud," Byakuya corrected her patiently, "You will shatter Nori's eardrums."

"Oh, no harm done," Nori said tolerantly, "She's no louder than you were, at that age. What a temper your father had on him back then."

Kaminari gave him a blank look.

"You mean he never told you?" Nori asked, smirking, "Oh, he was never one to keep his mind to himself, my dear."

"Did he be quiet?" Kaminari asked, raising a finger to her lips, "Shhhh."

"No, no, I'm afraid that the only one who could make him quiet was our Soujun."

Nori's eyes softened as he went on.

"Our Soujun was a very quiet, gentle person. He loved to tend the gardens with Lord Ginrei..."

"Feed the fishies?"

"Ah, yes! In fact, he did love to feed the koi with young Byakuya. But when he was little, your father ended up in the water with the fish, more often than not."

"Yes, usually because when we would go to feed the fish, that cat girl would always show up and cause trouble."

Nori chuckled softly.

"You did seem to get flustered to no end by her, didn't you?"

"Yes," Byakuya answered, frowning, "She still has a way of making an entrance when she is not welcome."

"Heh," huffed Kenpachi, yawning, "Maybe she can come an annoy these little rugrats outta you."

"Oh, that would be the last method I would want to try."

"But anyway," Nori said to Kaminari, as the tot wiggled free from Tetsuya's arms and was gently swept up into his, "Getting back to the story, our Soujun would take young Byakuya out under the sakura trees, up by that lovely lake, and he would tell him stories...the most fascinating myths and legends, things from our family's history. And Byakuya would sit very, very still and listen for hours on end!"

"Sounds like you and our girl," said Kenpachi, catching Byakuya's eye and bringing a deeper blush to his cheeks.

"It is good to remember our history," he said quietly, "We have much to learn from those things that happened before."

"I don't have a family history to go back to," Kenpachi commented, slipping a hand into Byakuya's, "But I do like listening when you talk about yours."

"But," Byakuya said, a sweetly nostalgic look overtaking his face, "it has become our family history now, Kenpachi. And every day when I add pages to my clan leader diary, you are remembered on those pages as well. You are one of us now."

"Eh? Is that so? So, what have you said about me?"

"I have recorded everything about our bonding and courtship," Byakuya answered, matter-of-factly. From the very beginning, and in perfect detail."

"Really?" Kenpachi mused, grinning widely, "Everything, Byakuya? Even that time when we..."

"Everything," Byakuya confirmed, carefully interrupting him, "I will be happy to share it with you more privately later."

"Yeah, we'll have to do that," Kenpachi agreed, "But first, you need to get up and walk around."

"You must be joking," Byakuya huffed, shaking his head, "I am exhausted! We have been...erm...busy all morning."

"Hey, don't bitch at me," the big man snapped, stealing a kiss and half dragging Byakuya to his feet, then fastening his yukata and bending to put on his shoes for him, "Your healer said that if you want these brats...erm...heirs to come out faster, you have to change positions and move around. Isn't that what you said, Tetsuya?"

"Yes, actually," Tetsuya agreed, "Although, if he is too fatigued..."

"If he gets too tired, I'll carry him back. Now, let's get moving, sweetheart. I have to check in at my division in a while."

"You can go now," Byakuya said, frowning self-consciously as he looked down at his rounded belly, "I am sure that Tetsuya and my attendants can see to me just fine. You have more than tried to help."

"Yeah, and it was damned good too," Kenpachi said, making Nori bite gently at his lips in amusement and teased a blush onto Tetsuya's face again, "Come on. Let's go for that walk."

"I can walk on my own!" Byakuya snapped, pulling free of him and starting along the path.

"Well," Nori said, handing Kaminari back to Tetsuya, "I must return to the council hall. I will inform them as to your progress."

"Or the lack thereof," Byakuya sighed, meandering towards the koi pond.

Tetsuya set Kaminari down and held her hand, following Kenpachi and his slow moving spouse down the pathway.

"Feed the fishies! Feed the fishies!" cried Kaminari excitedly, tearing away from Tetsuya and scampering forward.

"Very well," replied Byakuya, bending over to gather a handful of food from a tub at the edge of the pool.

He poured a measure into her small hand, then some into his, then he slowly emptied his handful into the water, little by little. Kaminari copied his slow motions carefully, then watched as the mouths of the colorful fish opened and closed around the bits of food. She giggled and leaned at the edge of the water, reaching in and laughing as the fish nibbled gently at her fingers.

Byakuya bent to gather another handful of fish food, then made a sound of discomfort and straightened.

"You okay?" Kenpachi asked, reaching around him to rub his belly.

"F-fine," Byakuya sighed, wiping several strands of raven hair out of his eyes, "I just forgot to move slowly.

"Why don't you go on back and lie down?" said Tetsuya, "You look quite pale, all of a sudden."

"I don't feel so well," Byakuya admitted, "I thought it was just fatigue, but..."

"But it may be time to consider moving you to the healing center," Tetsuya suggested, "I have tried to delay it for as long as I could. But you are getting to the point where no amount of food you can manage is enough to nourish both you and your babies."

"I don't want to go to that place!" Byakuya objected, scowling, "And what good is lying about going to do? I have tried that and everything else! What is taking so long? Tetsuya, is there something wrong with the chamber?"

"No, no, of course not," Tetsuya reassured him, "The chamber is functioning well. It is just that you are having more babies this time."

"I am not yet having them," Byakuya said in an irritated tone, "I just seem to be carrying them endlessly!"

"Hey, take it down a notch," Kenpachi chuckled, "It doesn't do any good to kill the messenger. The babies will come when they come. No use pissing and moaning about it."

"Says the man who is not carrying the children!" Byakuya snapped furiously, his temper boiling over, "I am at the ends of my wits! Is there no way to end this waiting?"

"I am sorry," Tetsuya said sympathetically, "With a female, we could induce labor, but as these souls are in reiatsu form, there is no known method for doing that."

"For kami's sake!" the clan leader sighed resignedly, dropping to his knees, "I can't stand this anymore! I am going out of my mind!"

"Knock it off, all right?" Kenpachi said, sliding an arm around him and infusing his belly with stabilizing reiatsu, "You'll be popping them out soon enough, then we'll have you back in shape in no time. Don't worry. C'mere."

Byakuya sagged against his shoulder defeatedly.

"You're beautiful, Kuchiki," he whispered in the noble's ear.

"I look horrible," Byakuya complained, "I am barely recognizable anymore. Is it so wrong to want to be myself again?"

"You'll be that, real soon," Kenpachi said with certainty, "But since the walking didn't work, let's go back to bed, okay?"

Byakuya blinked in surprise.

"What? But I'm exhausted..."

"You want to get those little Kuchiki's out soon now, don't you?"

"I want to get those little Zaraki-Kuchiki's out," Byakuya said, arching an eyebrow, "Oh, very well. At least it's something to pass the time, even if it doesn't speed things along."

He blushed as he realized what he had said and Zaraki laughed.

"Thanks, sweetheart. I'll take that as a compliment."

He swept the still frowning noble off his feet and gave him a long, wet kiss, while Kaminari looked up at them in amusement.

"Don't eat him all up!" the toddler objected.

"Why not? He tastes good!"

"He's not to eat! He's my daddy! Don't you eat Daddy Bya or I'll pound you good!" Kaminari shouted, escaping Tetsuya's grasp and charging at Kenpachi.

"Hey, be careful," Tetsuya cautioned her, "you'll...!"

Kaminari crashed into Kenpachi, and the big man gave her a surprised look as golden reiatsu sprouted from her small body and shoved him back. He teetered unsteadily, trying to hold on to Byakuya and catch his balance at the same time, but instead splashed down into the koi pond, taking the clan leader with him.

Water flew in all directions, making Kaminari squeal and retreat to a position just behind the very stunned Tetsuya.

"What the hell are you DOING?" Byakuya shouted, "As if I wasn't enough of a disgrace, now you have to add insult to injury? Get away from me, you hulking idiot!"

He shoved the bigger man, making him splash down into the water again. Kenpachi rolled over and sat up, gazing at the sopping noble as he staggered to his feet and climbed out of the pond. Kaminari shrank back behind Tetsuya, tears filling her green eyes.

"S-sorry!" she said tremulously, "I was just playing."

Byakuya twisted the ends of the tie of his yukata, wringing out some of the water and giving the girl a look of reproach.

"Young lady, we do not use our powers to push people into the koi pond!"

Kaminari started to cry, but went still, staring as loud laughter rose up from where a dripping wet Kenpachi still sat in the koi pond.

"Hey, take it easy on her. She said she was just playing, right?"

"That was not playing, it was a sneak attack and not an honorable one at that! I can't believe that you would teach our daughter to...!"

He broke off suddenly, laying a hand on his abdomen and panting softly.

"You all right?" Kenpachi asked, climbing out of the water and moving quickly to his side.

"I'm f-fine," Byakuya managed, looking down at Kaminari, "But...I think that...I think it is...!"

Tetsuya dashed to his side and examined him swiftly, then smiled widely.

"This is it!" he announced, "You are going into labor!"

Kenpachi grinned and gave their wide-eyed daughter a high-five.

"All right, kid. Good job."

"Knock you down again?" Kaminari asked, blinking.

"No," Byakuya said sternly, glaring at Kenpachi, "Go with Torio. He will give you your snack, then you are to...ah! T-take your nap."

"I not tired!"

"You'd better do what he says, runt," Kenpachi said, smirking at her, "He's in a pissy mood right now, cause the babies are making his belly hurt."

"Aww, poor thing," the toddler said sympathetically, walking to where Byakuya sat on the grass and rubbing his belly gently, "Better now?"

"Ah...yes," Byakuya panted, "N-now, go with Torio."

"Okay!" the girl cried, taking off into an ambling run across the yard.

"How're you doing?" Kenpachi asked, kneeling beside the clan leader.

"All right, I suppose."

"He is doing well," said Tetsuya, nodding, "But it is time to take him to the healing center."

"You heard him, Kuchiki," Kenpachi chuckled, scooping up his flustered and combative mate and flinching as the noble fought him, demanding to be let down, "Shut up, okay? It'll take you a fucking hour to waddle that far. Just relax and let me help you out, all right?"

"PUT ME DOWN, YOU MISCREANT!" Byakuya shouted.

"Fine!" Kenpachi snapped back, "You wanna have the babies spilling out under you while you walk, go ahead!"

"Anything's better than the indignity of being carried around like a fainting girl!" Byakuya seethed.

"Whatever," the bigger man huffed, falling in beside Byakuya and Tetsuya as they started across the gardens.

Tetsuya exchanged meaningful glances with Kenpachi, and after three paces, invoked a swift sleep kido that dropped the stunned noble back into his husband's arms.

"Fuck, he's a handful!" Kenpachi sighed, "Thanks, Tetsuya."

"No problem," the healer said, smirking, "I wasn't about to let him walk all of that way. But he wasn't of a mind to listen, was he?"

"Heh, when is he ever?"


	3. The Dirty Dozen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byakuya has babies! LOTS AND LOTS OF BABIES!

"Ugh!" Byakuya grunted, waking to find himself panting softly for breath and unable to feel anything below his waist.

His belly had been laid bare and was throbbing as though it should have hurt, and pulsing brightly with golden light.

"Ah, so you decided to wake up and watch with us, ne?" Kenpachi's voice rumbled in his ear.

Warm, rough lips stopped his from giving a hot retort. And he couldn't help being intrigued at the way his husband's face radiated with pride and happiness.

"You are enjoying this," the clan leader mused, not knowing whether to be pleased or infuriated, "You like seeing me this way...you...you big lumbering, loud mouthed, impregnating bastard! You like doing this to me! Look at me! I am..."

"Yeah," Kenpachi purred proudly, laying his cheek against Byakuya's and nuzzling him with surprising affection, "Goddamned beautiful! Belly out to here..."

"Fuck you!"

"Sweating all over, swearing worse than I do, your eyes all on fire like that and about to make me a dad about two or three times more. It doesn't get more beautiful than this, princess."

"I told you to stop-calling-me-that!" Byakuya snapped fiercely, beating his hands against the other man, "Get out of here before I call for hospital security!"

"I shit bigger than their whole security staff and you know it, princess," Kenpachi said boldly, "Now shut up and relax. Your heavy breathing might be really sexy, but it's stressing you out. And when you get stressed out, they get stressed out, see..."

"I know that, fool!" the noble hissed, "I am not nearly as dense as you. I actually was listening when Captain Unohana..."

He paused as the fourth division captain entered the room.

"Ah, Captain Kuchiki, you are awake," she said in a pleased voice, "and just in time, I see."

She moved to Byakuya's bedside and took his vital signs, then laid her hands on his glowing belly, smiling down at his grimacing face.

"The reiatsu pulses are very strong and healthy," she informed the other two captains.

"Do you have any idea how many of the little tykes there are going to be?" Kenpachi asked, grinning proudly.

"He takes such great pride in turning me from a captain and clan leader into a baby-making factory," Byakuya noted dryly, "Captain Unohana, I think you must find a way to turn this damned chamber off after this. I was fine with making sure there was an heir or two, but this is going overboard!"

"Oh, not to worry," Unohana said cheerfully, "Once the babies are born, I can attempt to deactivate the chamber. I think that I have it figured out. It is a tricky device, but it is not beyond my expertise to manage it."

"Which is why I find myself in the predicament I am in," Byakuya sighed unhappily.

"Hey!" Kenpachi said, glaring at him, "You can piss and moan and insult me all you want to, but don't be giving Captain Unohana any attitude. She'll have your ass, you know."

"She wouldn't be the first," Byakuya muttered, swearing as a flash of pain broke through whatever was numbing his lower body, "But she might be the last."

His breath shortened and the glow around his belly intensified and began to pulsate. Kenpachi's self-satisfied grin widened.

"This looks familiar, ne princess? This is what you looked like when we were in that cave, just before our Kaminari was born!"

"I...I...remember," Byakuya panted feverishly and staring at his swollen belly, "B-but, I wasn't n-nearly so big. Captain Unohana, are you s-sure that...that this is all...b-babies? The chamber isn't malfunctioning? I'm not going to burst or anything?"

"I don't know," Kenpachi chuckled, "I was wondering about that myself. He's swelled up pretty big, ne?"

"Shut up!" the noble snapped.

"You are not going to burst," Unohana said, looking reassuringly into her colleague's anxious gray eyes, "I examined the chamber thoroughly after Kaminari was born and again when you discovered you were with child again. You just have a greater concentration of reiatsus, due to multiple presences inside the chamber."

"But how can you be sure that it's just babies?" Byakuya asked, swallowing hard, "What if that bastard did something to me while he had me unconscious?"

"I didn't do anything to you, but knock you up good!" Kenpachi objected.

"Not you, you imbecile!" Byakuya fumed, "I was talking about Sousuke Aizen! I was his prisoner again, just before Kaminari was born!"

"Yes, and he did make some adjustments to the chamber," Captain Unohana acknowledged, "but those changes didn't appear to have been dangerous."

"Not d-dangerous?" the noble panted, gasping as another pain went through his body, "I think I would call putting so many babies in a person at once damned dangerous, wouldn't you?"

"Hey," Kenpachi said warningly, "I already told you once to mind your manners with Captain Unohana, "I'm not gonna tell you again. I'll just knock you out if you keep that up."

"And I suppose you'll use your putrid breath to accomplish that!" Byakuya fired back, "I wouldn't put it past you!"

The noble groaned and started to lose consciousness again, but was stayed as the fourth division captain placed her hands on his face and infused him gently with her power.

"Come now, Captain Kuchiki," she admonished him, "you don't want to miss seeing your new babies born, ne?"

"N-no," he answered dizzily, "I want to see them...and I'm rather convinced that if I lose consciousness, I w-won't wake up."

"You will be fine," Unohana reassured him, slipping a hand into his and nodding briefly at Kenpachi, who moved in closer, watching intently as the first cluster began to emerge.

"Oh!" Byakuya gasped, panting harder.

"Slow your breathing," Unohana said soothingly, reaching out to capture the first little bundle.

Isane and Hanatarou entered the room, wheeling along four bassinets. Captain Unohana laid the first cluster in Kenpachi's waiting arms and returned her attention to Byakuya's still pulsing belly. The cluster glowed and flickered, lighting up her father's pleased face as it slowly resolved into the body of a wiry looking baby boy.

"Well, will you look at that!" Kenpachi chuckled, "He looks kinda like me!"

"H-hopefully, he'll outgrow that," Byakuya managed dryly, unable to quell the smile that was rising on his lips.

He almost forgot he was still in labor until Captain Unohana's hands curled around a second reiatsu and cautiously lifted it free of the noble's heaving body.

"Gods, how m-much longer?" Byakuya asked, shivering, "I feel like I'm breaking apart!"

"You are doing fine," Unohana assured him, "Slow your breathing. You don't want to pass out not, do you, Captain?"

"N-no!" Byakuya replied, blinking and watching closely as the second baby's body formed into the body of another son, "But I might not be able to helo it if this goes on much longer. Do you know yet how many?"

"Unfortunately, the only way to know is to see how many come out," the healer explained, "I am sorry. I will try to give you an idea as we go on, but I can make no promises."

"But th-that is t-two," Byakuya reasoned, "There are j-just one or two more, ne?"

Kenpachi handed the first baby off to Hanatarou and lightly brushed his big fingers against the cheek of the second. He studied Byakuya's happy, but pained expression, then looked back at the healer.

"You sure he's all right?" he asked very softly, over the distressed noble's head, "He looks about done. Can you let him rest a minute? You know, slow him down or something? Or does he have to do this all at once?"

"Unfortunately, once the babies begin to come out, it isn't in our hands anymore," Unohana sighed, washing the sweat away from Byakuya's face and then turning her attention back to his midsection, "We are, at this point, reduced to merely 'making sure we catch them.' But I can intensify the pain block a little more. He will get a bit more dizzy, but he should stay awake through the rest of the births."

"Will you two stop whispering over me?" Byakuya objected hotly, "If something is wr-wrong, then just tell me!"

"Oh, nothing's wrong," the healer assured him, "You are doing fine, Captain. Your husband was just a little anxious for you. It was very sweet, actually. Here now, I'm giving you a little more pain relief now."

"What, are you finally kicking that ridiculous baboon out of here?" Byakuya managed, smirking up at Kenpachi.

"No way," Kenpachi answered, smiling back at him, "Bad breath and all, I'm staying right here. Don't even think I'm setting foot outside that door."

"You may have to if I have too many more babies. We are almost out of bassinets already."

"And moving one step closer," Unohana said, smiling as a third reiatsu emerged, with a fourth almost on its heels.

Kenpachi moved over to her side, taking one of the clusters and holding it as it solidified, while Isane took the other and Hanatarou left the room, to return a few minutes later, pulling along two more bassinets.

"Oh, s-surely you don't m-mean there's more?" Byakuya managed, dizzily, "I thought you said three or four! That is four, ne?"

"It is four," the healer confirmed, smiling in amusement, "But the chamber still reads as having multiple reiatsus. I can tell you that there are at least two more."

"Are you shittin' me?" asked Kenpachi, his green eyes widening, "Six more kids? Really?"

"S-six?" Byakuya panted wearily, "Are you...?"

He left off as another reiatsu emerged, then another.

"What about now?" Byakuya asked anxiously, reeling as he saw Unohana exchange meaningful glances with the other two healers, and Hanatarou left the room again, "Oh kami be merciful, tell me that's all of them!"

"I'm afraid not, Captain Kuchiki. You will need to hang in there for a little bit longer, ne?"

"But I have already 'hung in there' for six children!" the noble argued, "How long is this going to go on? How many more could there be? Is it just going to go on forever? It is like a nightmare!"

"Calm down, you're gonna pass out if you keep that up," Kenpachi said, squeezing the noble's sweating hand, "You're doin' fine. Just keep your breathing under control and don't think about it."

"Isane, will you watch over Captain Kuchiki for a moment? I want to speak to Captain Zaraki outside."

"What?" Kenpachi asked, looking surprised, "Should I really leave him right now? He's..."

"I'm fine. Go," Byakuya managed, biting at his lips and closing his eyes.

Kenpachi rose grudgingly, squeezing his spouse's hand and smiling down at him.

"Okay, I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere, okay?"

"Oh, I don't think that will be a problem," Byakuya sighed, "Go."

"What is it?" Kenpachi asked, meeting Unohana just outside the door, "Something's wrong, isn't it?"

"Yes," the healer admitted.

"Is something wrong with the babies?"

"No, the babies are fine and Captain Kuchiki is holding up well, but the chamber inside his body is taxed to the limit and it is beginning to fail."

"So, it stops working. Is that a problem?"

"Well, it wouldn't be if that was all there was to it. But it is emitting false signals and flutters of errant reiatsu. They are interfering with my ability to gage how close we might be to the last of the babies. And in addition to that, with every one of the sharper sparks of reiatsu, Captain Kuchiki's own reiatsu has weakened slightly."

"Then get the damned thing out!" Kenpachi urged her, "But wait, you said you couldn't."

"I should be able to remove it once the last of the babies were born," the healer said, looking back into the room.

"But, after Kaminari was born, you said that you didn't want to take the risk, even though he was okay after being treated. You decided it was safer to leave it in."

"That was as long as it was functioning correctly. Now that it is failing, it poses more of a concern than the risks of removing it. So, I would like your permission to remove it as soon as the last baby is born."

"W-wait a minute, you mean that you're gonna take it out and...that's it? No more babies?"

Unohana laughed softly.

"You mean, already having the six babies and Kaminari, you still want more?" she mused, "I would say that you and Captain Kuchiki have been very blessed."

"Yeah," Kenpachi said, scratching the back of his neck, "I guess it's just that...aw, I can't help it. I've loved seein' him all swollen up, full of babies and he's so damned pretty all flustered and yelling and swearing at me. I'll sort of miss that, you know?"

"Of course. But I think that, as far as the two of you have come since Aizen placed that chamber in Captain Kuchiki and this all began, you will be fine, even when he can't have any more children."

"Yeah," Kenpachi agreed, "I'm sure we'll still find plenty to fight about. But, taking that thing out, it's dangerous, right?"

"Yes, I am afraid so."

"And he's not exactly in top form right now."

"No."

"But there's even more than that, isn't there?"

"Yes. With each birth, Captain Kuchiki grows weaker. If there are too many more, then he may not tolerate the removal surgery well. He could be unconscious for a long time after, and I cannot rule out coma or death."

"Yeah," Kenpachi said, giving a rumbling sigh, "Well, lady, I'll tell you. Death's been stalking the two of us for quite some time now. It hasn't taken us yet and I'm gonna do my damnedest to see that it doesn't. You do the surgery, but I want to stay with him the whole time."

"You don't understand," Unohana said gently, "I am not just suggesting that we do the surgery. I am telling you that it may be most advisable to disperse the remaining reiatsus and conduct the surgery immediately."

Kenpachi went still for a moment, looking through the door at Byakuya visibly shaking body.

"Lady," he said in a low growl, "You take even one of those babies and you might as well have killed him yourself. You don't know him like I do. He'd rather die than to let a damned one of them be harmed to save his life. Just go in there and deliver the rest. I'll stay with him and I won't let him go anywhere. We're in this for all the marbles. There's no two ways about it!"

"You are sure?" Unohana asked uncertainly.

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"Very well."

The two hurried back into the room as a seventh reiatsu emerged, then an eighth and ninth.

"Shit, we've got a little army of them," Kenpachi mused.

Byakuya blinked slowly and met Kenpachi's eyes warily.

"Something is wrong, isn't it?" he asked quietly.

"It's nothing," the bigger man assured him, "The doctor was just saying that the chamber in you is causing trouble and so they're gonna take it out when you're done dropping this litter of babies."

Kenpachi's hand slipped into the noble's as Byakuya took in the full meaning of the words and his lips tightened.

"That's for the best, I suppose," he mused softly, watching as the tenth baby emerged, "How many children do we need to have?"

His lips curved upward as another baby emerged and then another.

"I always wanted a large family," he said softly, looking into Kenpachi's eyes, "I was alone growing up mostly, at least until I rescued my cousin from that noble's prison and he came to live with me at the manor. It was...rather lonely at times. I am...glad that our children will have each other."

"You may not say that when they are all scrapping and fighting with each other later on."

"I don't care about that," Byakuya sighed sleepily, watching as the last reiatsu formed a little body tinier than the rest.

"Heh, look at that. He's the runt of the litter, that's for sure. Hey, Captain Unohana, you sure that one's done baking? You wanna put it back and give him a little more time in there?"

"He is fine," the healer assured them, "He is just a little smaller than the others, but he is every bit as healthy. Now, we need to prepare Captain Kuchiki for surgery."

She moved closer to the noble and looked down into his unusually calm eyes.

"Captain, I am going to use general anesthesia for the procedure. Would you like a moment with your husband before we begin?"

"I am fine," Byakuya assured her, "And it isn't like you're going to be able to pry that fool away from me. He is like a little puppy that wants to follow me everywhere. Still...there are worse things."

Unohana and Kenpachi smiled down at him as the healer invoked the sleep kido and Byakuya's dark eyes closed. Kenpachi's smile faded and his hand wrapped around Unohana's slender wrist.

"Hey, you make sure he comes through this okay, all right?"

"I will," the healer promised, "But you will see for yourself. Come."

Isane and Hanatarou wheeled the unconscious captain out of the room, followed by Unohana and Kenpachi, as a stream of healers poured into the room.

"Hey, take care of the dirty dozen for us, okay?" Kenpachi laughed, looking back over his shoulder, "We'll be back."


	4. In the Gardens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byakuya recovers from having his children.

Byakuya opened his eyes and found himself lying in a fall of pink sakura petals, with more drifting down onto his quietly resting form. For a time, he was unable to move, except for his inquisitive eyes, which scanned the hazy, misted area around him, looking for something familiar to anchor him. But he didn't remember ever being in this particular place. 

The life came slowly back into his body and he finally lifted himself and rose gradually to his feet, reeling as spots danced before his eyes. For a moment, he thought he heard urgent sounding voices, but they faded away quickly, and the clan leader was left leaning unsteadily against the trunk of a sakura tree and looking around curiously.

Birds chirped merrily and the air was pleasantly cool. The serenity of his surroundings made him feel drowsy, and he blinked sleepily as he tried a step and then another, and found himself gradually regaining enough steadiness to walk.

"What happened? Where is this place?" he whispered, walking down a quiet trail that led to a great cliff.

He looked down from the top of the cliff and into the vast sea at its base, then blinked in surprise as the surface of the water sparkled and began to show him strange images. The first seemed calm and normal. He sat before a group of new recruits in the sixth division, calmly answering their questions and informing them about procedures. But the next image that rose was sharper and more violent...tall blue columns that crashed down from the sky, loud screams and the sight of warriors dying by the thousands. 

Byakuya tensed, aching to look away from the horrid sight, but he was fascinated in the darkest of ways as the water showed him an image of the noble homes in ruins. Bodies laid, scattered everywhere like broken dolls and blood soaked the ground. His insides clenched as he saw a vision of Kenpachi, being held by the throat, then cast down by an unseen foe.

"Hey, Kuchiki," Kenpachi's rough voice said, sending the noble's thoughts into a spin and bringing him back to where he laid in a hospital bed with his husband lying next to him and talking into his ear, "You having more bad dreams? Why don't you wake up?

"Kenpachi?" the noble whispered, blinking slowly to clear his fogged eyes, "Is it...over then?"

"Yeah, it's over. You came through just fine...except I think we're through having kids. Doc said that chamber was just interfering too much with your body. She got it out okay, though you needed to sleep for a while after."

"How long has it been?" Byakuya asked, frowning.

"Oh, about two weeks, give or take a day," Kenpachi chuckled, nipping at his lips.

"Two weeks?" Byakuya repeated in a flustered tone, "I was unconscious for two weeks?"

"Yeah," Kenpachi laughed, "You just needed a rest after having all of those kids, I think."

"I imagine..." Byakuya said numbly, his mind trying to wrap around the concept, "Kenpachi, we had twelve children."

"Yeah, they're pretty damned cute, too. Especially the runt. He's the smallest, but he craps bigger, vomits more and yells louder than all the others put together. Great little tyke."

"The babies are...?"

"At home," Kenpachi answered, which is where you're gonna be if you just relax and let yourself get well. You do that, and Unohana'll let you out in a couple of days."

"I don't want to stay here," Byakuya complained, "I hate hospitals. You know that. Now that I am awake..."

"Now that you're awake, you're gonna do what Doc tells you to do. As much as I'm all for taking you home right now, the truth is, you almost died. So, you're not moving from this bed until Captain Unohana gives you a clean bill of health, got that?"

Byakuya remained tensed for a moment, reading the other man's determination, then he sighed resignedly and fell back against the pillows.

"I almost died?"

"Yeah, but I wouldn't let you."

"I know," Byakuya sighed, nuzzling into the bigger man's arms and tilting his head back to allow him to explore the soft, pale flesh of his throat, "I don't remember much, but I did hear you speaking to me."

"I'm glad you listened for a change."

"There wasn't any choice," the noble said, smirking slightly, "I wasn't going to leave my family saddled with you and all of those children. I don't think either of you would survive the other."

"It's not that bad," Kenpachi said, shaking his head, "We've already established I'm not jumping through any hoops for those people so they might as well not even try to get me to do that. The rest, we'll figure out. You don't have to worry about that."

"How long is Captain Unohana thinking I need to stay here?"

"Not sure yet. It'll be a shorter time, now that you're awake and we know you've got all of your marbles...least I think you do. How're you feeling?"

"Like I just nearly died giving birth to a dozen or so children," the noble said dryly, "I ache in appropriate places for what I've been through, but my strength is returning and I am anxious to see our children. Is Kaminari all right?"

"She's fine," Kenpachi replied, smiling at the mention of their eldest child, "She comes down here once a day with your cousin, Tetsuya and they help with your healing. I'm not much into the healing arts, myself, but Tetsuya says the girl has some natural ability."

"Interesting, considering her reiatsu level is so high."

"That's what Tetsuya and Captain Unohana said, "But I'm all for her spreading her wings. She should do what makes her happy."

"Within reason."

"Right."

"Have you given our children names?"

Kenpachi smiled.

"Not yet. At least, mostly not. I just call the little one Runt and Kaminari and I get together sometimes and try to think of what we might call the others. We agreed, though, to wait until you were home to make final decisions on them."

"Thank you."

"No problem. Now, if you're done asking so many questions, I'll give you an infusion and have the staff bring you something to eat."

"Very well. But I have one more question. Have there been any more developments with the mysterious enemy that we'd been sensing?"

"Some," Kenpachi confirmed, "and not good ones. There have been some unexplained deaths."

"Who?"

"Mostly underlings, but a few lower officers. Whoever it is was testing the waters. They've been monitoring us and poking at our defenses. I don't like all that hiding and nonsense. I like an enemy that doesn't hide, but comes out and challenges you head on."

"Not everyone is like that," Byakuya observed.

"The ones with real guts? The ones worth fighting are. These guys are trash, looking for a way to steal the upper hand. Still, even though they may not be stronger than we are? They'll have a trick up their sleeves, something to throw us off, so they can gain an advantage. The old man's worried. He's been contact with Kisuke Urahara a bunch of times and he's run a lot of preparatory drills. War's coming, and it's going to be an ugly one."

"Then, I need even more to get out of here," Byakuya said firmly.

"No way. Not yet," Kenpachi challenged him, "We've got a plan for getting you back on your feet and powered up."

"We?"

"Captain Unohana and I. Gotei's gonna need all of the power of its captains, so we need to be sure you're one hundred percent."

"And that begins with me lying in this bed for days on end?" the noble asked skeptically.

"It begins with me giving you infusions with a Kenpachi twist."

Byakuya blinked and frowned, trying to make sense of the words.

"What are you talking about? Kenpachi twist? What is that?"

"You don't feel it?" the eleventh division captain chided him, "I would've thought you'd sense it right away, although, your senses were a little bit scrambled by all of that pushing to get the babies out."

"Kenpachi, what are you doing to me?"

The other man smiled enigmatically.

"Just giving you some special juice, what else?" he chuckled, "I'm infusing you with small amounts of my life force."

"What?" Byakuya gasped, "Your...?"

"Hey, trust me. It's nothing you need to worry about and it's necessary. Like I told you, we have a nasty, sneaky enemy who is looking to attack us soon. You've just had twelve baby and you're not exactly in top form. The small infusions don't drain me much, but they're helping you to heal at an accelerated rate. So, shut up and heal, okay? You behave and I'll spring you in the morning and we can do this at home where you'll be more comfortable."

Byakuya still felt an urge to object, but the notion that their unseen enemy was coiling itself in preparation to strike lent a sense of urgency to his already aching desire to feel his own strength again.

"Fine," he answered shortly, "Whatever it takes."

"Good answer," Kenpachi said approvingly, "Now, I'm done with that infusion. How about I fill you with another kind of juice, lover?"

"Are you sure that's advisable?" Byakuya asked, arching a fine eyebrow, "After all, not only am I just now conscious again, your affections have a nasty habit of leaving us both unconscious. Are you sure we won't be running the risk of disaster?"

"You let me worry about that," the big man laughed, opening his noble mate's yukata and teasing a pleased groan from the Kuchiki heir as his fingers began to prepare him.

"Kenpachi!" Byakuya panted, raising his hips eagerly.

He groaned and thrashed restlessly as the bigger man's fingers worked at their task.

"You missed that, huh? Or did you spend all of those long nights dreaming about it?"

"Oh!" Byakuya gasped, grasping at the other man's face and hair to drag him into a vicious kiss, "Oh gods!"

"You'd better start praying," Kenpachi warned him in a low growl, "I've been thinking about you for a couple of weeks, wanting to be inside of you. While you were busy sleeping, I was cuddling with you, thinking about the things I really wanted to be doing with you. You wanna know hard, I was hard enough to..."

"I understand," Byakuya interrupted, spreading his thighs invitingly, "You needn't hold back."

"Like I could ever hold back loving you!" Kenpachi rumbled, moving into position and claiming his mate with a hard, quaking thrust, "G-gods, now you've got me praying. S-so damned tight! Remind me never to neglect you like that for so long again. I think it's gonna break."

"O-oh!" Byakuya gasped senselessly, "Stop trying to be gentle! Make love to me!"

"I don't want to kill you, stupid! You just woke up after being out for a week! I'm not..."

Kenpachi made a sound of surprise as Byakuya turned suddenly and threw him off. The noble turned swiftly, pinning his larger mate beneath him and impaling himself, while Kenpachi laughed and shook his head resignedly.

"H-have it your way, then. Knock yourself out, princess."

"Urgh! Don't...c-call-me-that!" Byakuya seethed, gripping Kenpachi's hands as his hips undulated wildly.

The bigger man's green eyes glinted fiercely, then began to glaze over. He moved with the man on top of him, fixing his gaze on the noble's piqued expression and smiling as the friction between their bodies set off flickers of rising pleasure. He pulled his hands free, leaving his noble lover gripping the bedding as his hands wrapped around Byakuya's rotating hips, encouraging him in his heavy movements. Soon, both men were panting and nearly at their wits end.

"Come on!" Kenpachi taunted his lovely mate, "Give!"

Byakuya groaned and Kenpachi's hands wrapped around his face, forcing their eye to meet as the noble's body shuddered madly and his hot release splashed onto their sweating skin. The bigger man turned suddenly, stealing the upper position and bringing the reeling noble down on his stomach. Kenpachi attacked lovingly from behind, finishing with a barrage of hard, fast thrusts that brought him over the edge and tumbling into bliss. He dropped down beside his recovering mate, feeding him a flurry of gentler kisses as he teetered on the edges of consciousness again.

"Rang your chimes, did I?" Kenpachi chuckled, "But you didn't pass out. I'm impressed."

"I'm so pleased," Byakuya said irascibly.

"You look it."

"That is satedness, fool!"

"Whatever," Kenpachi purred contentedly, "It's fucking beautiful, that's what it is. I love you, Kuchiki. You really are something special."

Byakuya didn't answer, but the shine of pride in his eye indicated his comprehension and his lips sought his wilder mate's more gently.

"I love you too, Kenpachi," he answered, "always."

"Good, then we're okay."

"Were you worried we wouldn't be?"

Kenpachi sighed.

"I was kinda worried that when you knew there weren't going to be any more babies, you'd start thinking of reasons to push me away, you know?"

"What?"

"Well, the babies were the reason all of this started, right?"

"Yes," Byakuya admitted, "But you know how far we have come from that time. Did you forget the profound resonance between us? The way that ancient tree helped us to understand why something so odd as the two of us works? You couldn't have forgotten the bond that helped me to overcome Aizen's manipulations so that we could escape together, or what brought you back out of the desert when I thought that you were dead. Kenpachi, you scold me for forgetting those things. You are the one who has understood things better than I have all along."

"Yeah," Kenpachi sighed, snuggling closer, "But sometimes even I need to hear that you still love me. I do enough to earn your ire all of the time. I want to be sure that I do enough to feed our love."

"You do that," Byakuya said bracingly, "Why do you think I didn't die, Kenpachi? I came home to you and our children. Our life may not always be perfect, but it is very much what I want. That has been true for a long time and it will be true always."

"That's good to know," Kenpachi yawned, stretching out along Byakuya's side and closing his eyes.

In moments, he was asleep.

Byakuya held his quietly as he slept, finally noting the darkness around his eyes and the small frown he still wore as he rested.

You barely slept at all while I was unconscious, you fool! What were you thinking?

But in truth, he was fully aware of where his roguishly beautiful mate's thoughts had been firmly fixed the whole time.

_Kenpachi..._

_How did I ever make you love me like this?_


End file.
